Heroes, legends, icons: Two VIFF documentaries go the distance with Terry Fox and Rick Hansen

At a moment when many Canadians are looking to the future with uncertainty and fear, it may be the perfect time to draw from our history, our collective memory, and our legacy, and remind ourselves who we are as a country.

And who we are includes heroes like Terry Fox and Rick Hansen.

Both of them are from British Columbia and achieved international recognition for fighting for something they believed in. In 1980, Fox set out to run across Canada to raise money for a cure for cancer. In 1985, Hansen started his journey around the world to raise money for spinal cord research.

Both transformed movement into something bigger than all of us.

Although Fox didn’t cross the geographical distance he had hoped to, his influence and legacy likely went further than even the most optimistic could have anticipated. Hansen completed his incredible 40,000-kilometre trek, bringing international attention to spinal cord research and accessibility.

Some remember watching these two determined men start their journeys, persevere, and succeed.

Those who weren’t yet around to watch these feats know who these men are and likely admire them. Maybe they take for granted that they achieved legendary status.

But what did it take to do what they did?

Two documentaries to be screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) aim to answer that very question.

In Run Terry Run (dir: Sean Menard, 108 min.), we see Fox set out on his Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980, from St. John’s, Nfld., with the goal of raising $1 million for cancer research. Through historical footage, news coverage, and some minimal voiceover commentary, we follow him from day one, through the 143 days as he runs, until his journey ends sadly.

Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story (dir: Adrian Buitenhuis, 96 min.) shows Hansen, in all his strength, setting out around the world. Through a combination of historical footage, audio journal entries, and present-day interviews — including Hansen himself — we learn about the challenges he and his team faced and their remarkable perseverance.

In these films, we see two strong Canadians set out on two separate journeys, united by one enduring message: keep going.

Run Terry Run screens at the Vancouver Playhouse on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 1:45 p.m. and again at International Village on Oct. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story shows at the Vancouver Playhouse on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 2:45 p.m., with a Q&A session with Hansen himself. It also screens at Fifth Avenue Cinema on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 12:30 p.m.